An Unlikely Pair
by OtakuGirlEmi
Summary: Ten years after they meet, Rin and Sesshomaru remain an unlikely pair. But what happens when Sesshomaru's feelings toward Rin change? kinda fluffy. Please R
1. Shopping for an Answer

**An Unlikely Pair**

**Disclaimer: **I do not own Inuyasha or any of its characters. (sob)

**OtakuGirlEmi: **Hello everyone! I'm finally writing my second fanfiction, YAY! It's about the series Inuyasha (obviously) and it's a romance story about Sesshomaru and Rin. Maybe they're an odd couple, but I think they would be great together! It takes place 10 years after they meet, so Rin is now 18, and Sesshomaru is very confused as his feelings toward her begin to change. I'm not sure why I decided to do a S/R fic, because usually I'm strongly Inu/Kag and Sango/Miroku. But the thought just occurred to me when I was watching my Inuyasha anime DVDs (for the millionth time). I'll update as often as I can, but with writing Decisions, Decisions (my other fic) I can't promise exactly how often. So I hope you enjoy it and have fun reading! Arigato, Emi!

**Chapter 1: Shopping for an Answer**

"Lord Sesshomaru!"

The white-haired dog demon turned around as a familiar voice called his name.

"My Lord, look at this!" The teenage girl who the voice belonged to ran up to him and pointed to the kimono that she was wearing. She was grinning ear to ear and gave a little spin to show off the red kimono with purple butterflies on it. "I got this one! Isn't it pretty?" She tilted her head to look into his gold eyes, waiting for an answer.

Sesshomaru looked down at the girl, taking in the kimono and her extravagant smile. "Yes, Rin, that is suitable."

Rin was no longer a little girl, but, at the age of 18, she had changed very little on the inside and still processed the child-like innocence that she had had since the day she had met him. On the outside, however, Rin had changed a lot. She was only a few inches shorter than Sesshomaru and she had grown into a lady. The new kimono showed off her long legs, toned from all the walking she had done traveling with him. Her newly mature chest was also more noticeable. Her skin was tanned from living outside and her brown hair hung down to her waist, loose and free. Even though she didn't realize it, Rin was beautiful.

As Sesshomaru looked her kimono over, he noticed this. Lately, it seemed that he had started to notice more and more things about his female traveling companion.

"Yay!" cried Rin, throwing her arms in the air, oblivious to the strange looks she was receiving from onlookers. She turned to an approaching green demon and said, "Lord Jaken, Lord Sesshomaru likes it!"

"I don't really care, Rin. And I highly doubt that Lord Sesshomaru does either." Replied the short minion named Jaken. He waved his hand dismissively and said, "Why don't you go look at some other shop until we are ready to leave? And stay out of Lord Sesshomaru's way! Your frivolous frolicking is quite tiresome."

"Oh, okay Lord Jaken." She said, her smile fading slightly. Rin made a move to leave, but turned to face the dog demon again. "Thank you so much, Lord Sesshomaru! You are so amazing and kind!"

Sesshomaru felt a warm sensation spread through his insides. She was smiling that warm, beautiful, genuine smile directly at him. Him, Sesshomaru, the deadly, cold, heartless, human-hater, who didn't deserve her warm and happy company. He suddenly felt terrible and low and unworthy. He wanted to crawl under a rock; he shouldn't be stealing this innocent girl's happiness. It should be directed at someone else.

But why am I thinking such stupid things, he asked himself as he shook his head slightly. It's only Rin; I've known her for 10 years now, why am I suddenly thinking all these things? "Don't be ridiculous, Rin. Your old kimono was simply too small."

Rin continued to smile and walked off, in search of an interesting shop.

What is happening to me? The confused youkai asked himself as he watched her go.

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"Well, that was a fun trip!" Rin said as she sighed happily and looked at her new kimono and basket of food. "Thanks again Lord Sesshomaru! It was so wonderful of you to do this."

Sesshomaru felt the odd warm sensation again. He tried to ignore it.

Rin continued, "I am so hungry though! And there was so much good food at the market, my mouth was watering! And then, after I bought the food, I wanted to eat it right there. I can't wait to get back to camp and eat!" she smiled and hugged her basket overflowing with food to her chest. "What about you Jaken?"

"Ha, I can go weeks without food! You puny humans can only go a couple hours and you're hungry again." Jaken boasted from the reins of the flying beast they sat on.

Rin smiled evilly and pulled out a small cake. "Well, then I guess this wonderful, warm, moist, chocolate cake will go to waste." She teasingly put the cake near her mouth and said, "Mmmmmm….it smells so good. Too bad you don't want it Jaken, I _did_ buy it especially for you." Rin sighed mock-sadly.

Jaken glanced back at the girl. His eyes looked at the cake greedily and his mouth was watering. "Umm, Rin, you know that I was just kidding, I'm actually very hungry." Rin pretended not to hear the green demon and proceeded to bring the cake closer to her mouth. "AAAHH! DO NOT EAT IT! I BEG OF YOU!" Jaken cried, giving in.

Rin giggled and handed the cake to him, another one of her glowing smiles on her face. Jaken took the dessert and crammed the whole thing in his mouth while he glared at Rin as if he thought she was going to take it from him. Rin laughed so hard that she had to wipe her teary eyes with her sleeve.

When she stopped laughing, Rin turned to look at Sesshomaru. "Oh, Lord Sesshomaru, I also bought something for you." She rummaged through the basket and smiled in satisfaction as she found what she was searching for. "I know you really don't like shopping or human trinkets, but I thought this was adorable and maybe just this once, you would accept it." She opened her hand to reveal a small wood carving about 3 inches long. It was a carving of a white dog. The little figure appeared to be howling at the sky while it stared at it longingly with gold eyes. Perched on its shoulder was a tiny purple butterfly.

Rin held the figure out to Sesshomaru, a hopeful look in her eyes. When he reached out his hand, she flinched slightly as if she was afraid that he would slap it away. For a split second, their skin met and Sesshomaru felt as though he had been electrocuted. His stomach seemed to leap around as he took the carving gingerly into his clawed hand. "Thank you Rin. I accept it, and I shall always carry it with me." He said softly as he deposited the wooden dog into a pouch inside his shirt, fighting the heat that was rising to his face.

Sesshomaru slowly reached out his arm and patted her on the head gently. Rin smiled shyly. When she didn't draw back or flinch, he moved his hand and tucked a stray piece of hair behind her ear. Am I seeing things? Sesshomaru wondered as Rin quickly averted her eyes to the ground and he drew his hand back. (Equally as quickly) I could have sworn I saw Rin blush.

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"…and that was how Lord Sesshomaru vanquished the formidable Salamander demon." Jaken finished and bowed. Rin sat there and applauded wildly. Retelling stories about Lord Sesshomaru's accomplishments was a regular ritual around the campfire at night, despite the fact that all of the stories had been retold more than 10 times. Rin loved this tradition, even though she was almost an adult.

"Well, I'm going to go fetch some more firewood." Jaken informed Sesshomaru and Rin as he walked off into the woods.

Rin stood up and began to pack the extra food into her basket. When she was done she plopped down by the fire and wiped imaginary sweat off her forehead.

Sesshomaru, who had been gazing into the fire wrapped up in his own thoughts during the story, looked up at the girl and asked "Rin, must you be so dramatic?"

Rin looked up at Sesshomaru sheepishly. She didn't reply, but shifted her eyes to the ground in apology. Sesshomaru allowed a small smile to cross his face as she looked up at him.

They sat there in silence for a few minutes as they both gazed into the fire.

Rin broke the silence. "Lord Sesshomaru," she asked. Sesshomaru looked over at her, confirming that he heard her. "Can I ask you a question?" Sesshomaru nodded and Rin continued. "What's a "kiss"?"

Sesshomaru choked on his own spit, but managed to disguise it as a cough. Why would she be asking such a thing? He wondered as he panicked.

Rin seemed to read his mind. "I was just wondering, because today at the market I heard some girls giggling and talking about "kissing" someone. So I was curious." She smiled and waited for an answer.

Sesshomaru had no idea how to respond. But she wants an answer, and if I tell her, she'll probably forget about it, he figured. But his tongue seemed too big for his mouth and it was hard to reply. "Well, Rin, a kiss is…umm…A kiss is- I don't know how to explain this-" he broke off, shaking his head slightly and looking at the ground, while trying to act normal.

But Rin wouldn't be put down that easily and she piped up loudly. "If you can't explain it, you can show me!"

Sesshomaru was taken aback; she wanted _him _to kiss her! He considered it silently. It wouldn't mean anything, of course. She wouldn't care and she genuinely wants to know what it is. She's not like other humans, she wouldn't act ridiculous afterwards. And I'm sure she'll forget about it and drop the subject if I showed her.

"I suppose I could. I have never done it before, but I have seen humans perform it." He stood up and walked over to her, and then sat down. This was the last chance he had to back out. But, strangely and suddenly, he found himself _wanting_ to kiss her; wanting to feel her lips on his.

"Well, first you have to close your eyes." Rin did as she was told and sat there, waiting. "And then you just…" Sesshomaru trailed off as he pressed his lips to hers.

Once again, he felt as if he was being electrocuted. Her lips were soft and gentle and seemed to embrace his. He wanted to stay this way, he wanted to hold her and kiss her until he couldn't breathe. But he was quickly brought to his senses as Rin squeaked in surprise.

He broke away, trying to hide his ragged and quick breathing. Rin was blushing crimson (though she didn't know why) and was also trying to catch her breath. How long had he kissed her to make her gasp for breath like that?

He stood up and said briskly, "That's it…a stupid human ritual, really…" As he turned to go, he saw Rin gently press her hand to her lips, looking bewildered and happy. He felt like doing the same thing. His lips tingled and it felt hard to talk or concentrate on anything else but the memory of the overwhelming happiness and satisfaction that had filled him at that moment. "I'm going to go fetch firewood with Jaken."

Rin sat there, dazed and confused, as her master walked off. Rin, he thought to himself, you cannot possibly be as confused as I am. When we went shopping at the market, I should have been shopping for an answer.

Do I love Rin?

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**OtakuGirlEmi:** That's the end of chapter 1! I hope you liked it. I wasn't sure if I described the kiss right. (Since I've never had one) Anyway please review! I would love to hear any comments, questions, or ideas for the story. Thanks for reading! Emi


	2. A Realization and A Problem

**Disclaimer: **I do not own Inuyasha…until I invent a time machine and go back in time and think of it before Rumiko Takehashi does!

**OtakuGirlEmi: **Hello again everyone! Chapter 2 is finally here! I was a bit tricky to write, so I hope everyone has fun reading. I was amazed how many reviews I received, I was overwhelmed! You guys rock! In fact, I had so many reviews that I couldn't fit the responses at the beginning of the chapter, so you'll find my responses at the end! A huge thank-you to all of you guys! I hope you enjoy chapter 2!

**Chapter 2: A Realization (finally!) and a Problem**

"Good morning, My Lord!" Rin exclaimed as she rubbed her eyes and stretched toward the rising sun.

Sesshomaru looked up from polishing Tokijin. "You are certainly up early, Rin. Why the change?"

Usually Rin was the last to wake and took her time getting up. She was also as close to quiet as she could get in the morning. So Sesshomaru was puzzled over this sudden change.

"Oh, I just decided that it would be fun to start getting up early to greet the day!" She replied as she happily sat down next to him. "Why do you get up so early, Lord Sesshomaru?"

"Demons such as I do not need to sleep as long as you humans do. Therefore, it is a waste of my time to oversleep." He replied coolly as he kept his eyes glued to the sword and refused to look up at her. He was lying. Despite the fact that what he had said was true, he had actually not gotten any sleep the previous night. He had stayed up thinking about what had happened between them. Even though their kiss seemed not to bother Rin, it had (though he wouldn't admit it to anyone) made a huge impact on him. Not to mention left him thoroughly confused about his feelings toward Rin.

Having her right there next to him only confused him more and made thewarm sensation in his gut return. "I am going for a walk." He said stiffly as he stood up and placed his clean sword in its sheath. Really,Sesshomaru didn't want to go for a walk as much as get away from Rin and the akwardness that plauged him around her.

Rin, oblivious to his discomfort, jumped up and eagerly asked, "Lord Sesshomaru, may I go with you?"

Sesshomaru inwardly flinched. So much for getting away from her, he thought miserably. But despite how awkward he felt, he once again couldn't help but feel a strong longing. A longing for her company: A longing to hear her light, carefree voice, and see her beautiful, happy face. He couldn't fight the overwhelming feelings that rose up in him when he thought of her.

Damn these emotions, Sesshomaru thought irritably, they're so useless and fickle. They are meant for humans, not those such as myself.

"Fine, if you wish." He replied as he turned and walked into the trees, hoping that the leaves would hide the blush appearing on his face.

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They walked in content silence for a few minutes, leaves rustling under their feet as a breeze swept through the forest. It really is a preferable day for a walk, thought Sesshomaru as he savored the light breeze and tried to distract his mind from thinking of the beautiful human next to him.

A voice broke through his thoughts. "Lord Sesshomaru! Look, a butterfly!" Rin was pointing to a small purple butterfly that had landed on his shoulder. She giggled and remarked, "It seems to like you, My Lord." Sesshomaru felt his face heat up. Why was he blushing? Demon Lords aren't supposed to blush, he thought, feeling frustrated.

He quickly chanced a look at Rin; she didn't seem to have noticed his crimson face, as she was still enamored with the butterfly. He felt a wave of relief wash over him. But she isn't stupid, he thought, she'll notice this eventually if it keeps happening.

"It really is unusual to see one of these so late in the year," Rin half-whispered as she stretched out her finger to touch the butterfly. The small insect fluttered its wings and flew away. Rin, unaware of what she was doing, continued to stroke Sesshomaru's shoulder.

Her touch sent shockwaves ringing throughout his body. Rin realized what she was doing and stopped, averting her eyes to the fleeing butterfly and blushing slightly. Sesshomaru felt suddenly relaxed when he saw this; maybe he wasn't so odd if she blushed too.

Using his demon reflexes, Sesshomaru snatched the butterfly out of the air. He heard an intake of air next to him. Rin must have thought that he had killed the fluttering creature. A tiny smiled crossed his face as he opened his clutched fist to reveal the unharmed butterfly. He gently grabbed her small wrist as Rin sucked in another soft breath. Sesshomaru felt inexplicably powerful as he placed the butterfly in Rin's open palm. Her skin felt so soft and welcoming, he had to resist the urge to hold onto her hand. Rin closed her palm to keep the butterfly from flying away and looked up at Sesshomaru.

It was the first time that morning that he had made eye contact with her and it felt like she had put a spell over him. Sesshomaru felt paralyzed. He couldn't move: he didn't _want_ to move. He was free-falling into her beautiful, deep, chocolate eyes and he never wanted to stop.

But anything between them was broken as Rin quickly looked away, blushing. Why is Rin blushing so much? Sesshomaru wondered as he shook his head as if clearing away a fog. Does she feel well? I wonder if she has a fever.

Rin, oblivious to his silent ponderings, opened her palm and watched as the butterfly fluttered off. "Why did you do that? I assumed you were going to keep it." Sesshomaru asked.

"It has a right to be free. Besides if I had kept it, it would have died and then I would've felt guilty and sad." Rin replied, her eyes still glued to the sky. Sesshomaru felt once again amazed by her child-like innocence. Here she was saying how she would've mourned the loss of a butterfly, when he had killed plenty of demons and humans. She's so innocent and pure, he thought as the warm sensation spread through his body, just like the first snow. Everything she does she treats as if it's her first time experiencing it. And she does everything with such love…

I wonder if she could love me...

Sesshomaru immediately cut his train of thought off. What was he thinking? He didn't even know the meaning of love, so he couldn't possibly love Rin! And there was no way that Rin loved him, he had practically raised her! "My Lord, i-is something wrong?" Rin stuttered, looking up at him worriedly. He felt embarrassed about his previous thoughts and realized that Rin was blushing. "You've been staring at me for the past couple of minutes." Sesshomaru felt his face heat up and tried to stay calm. How could he be turning into such an idiot! He was supposed to be the cold, quiet, arrogant Lord Sesshomaru. And yet, he had been caught staring at a girl who made his stomach drop and insides heat up and face blush.

"No, nothing is wrong. I was simply thinking." Sesshomaru replied in his trademark cold tone. But he quickly turned his eyes to the ground, acting like something had caught his eye.

"Oh, I'm sorry for disturbing you Lord Sesshomaru. It won't happen again!" Rin replied hurriedly. A few moments of silence passed, while they both were lost in their own thoughts. Out of the corner of his eye, Sesshomaru noticed that Rin had stopped walking. He looked up to see what had made her stop so abruptly.

They had reached a small clearing in the middle of the forest. The bright sun shone on the tall, green grass and wildflowers seemed to dance in the summer breeze. The soothing sound of bubbling water signified that a stream or lake had to be nearby. Rin gasped. "It's so beautiful!" she turned to the youkai standing next to her and grabbed his clawed hand in excitement. She led him into the sunlight and to the middle of the field. Once there she proceeded to sit down on the grass and pulled him down next to her.

It was like something out of a daydream (if Sesshomaru actually had something as frivolous as daydreams cross his mind). Him and Rin, alone in the middle of a beautiful field with all the time in the world. The sunlight made her hair seem to glow and her skin looked tanned and healthy as she closed her eyes and seemed to soak up the sun.

She still hadn't let go of Sesshomaru's hand; in fact, she was clutching it happily on the ground. And he made no move to withdraw from her touch. Her hand seemed to send waves of heat racing through his body, along with waves of longing. If he had it his way, he would have been holding her petite, vulnerable body in his strong, muscular arms and would have been kissing her again. They would have lain together in the sun until the moon had risen, then they would lay there and count the stars while they kissed and embraced. An unlikely pair, under the stars.

Sesshomaru sat straight up as a thought struck him. A thought that rang so true and was so strong that he had to listen to it.

I love Rin.

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It was if his mind had been turned upside down and then shook.

Thoughts whirled through his head like snowflakes during a snowstorm. One almost being understood as another shoved it away, and then that thought got blow away by another one. His thoughts were blurred, scrambled, and incomprehensible to his confused, dazed mind.

Obviously, this realization was a lot for Sesshomaru to handle.

He had never shown any real feelings to another being before. Sure, Jaken was a friend and servant, but he invoked no real feelings. And Sesshomaru had no other friends. And...he had most certainly never been in love.

But, as he glanced over to the girl sitting next to him, clutching his hand, he knew that she was different. That day that he had brought her back to life so long ago came spinning back to him. She had to have been different if his cold demon heart had saved her life. And Rin was. It seemed that every day she surprised and amazed him. She had shown him things that he never would have noticed or cared about, she had gradually softened his heart. And without even realizing it, he had fallen in love with the little human called Rin.

"My lord?" Rin had opened her eyes and was smiling at him. "May we camp here for a while? It's so beautiful. And there's water nearby, so cooking and bathing wouldn't be a problem. And we're far enough into the forest that no humans or demons would stumble upon us. Plus, it feels so peaceful here."

It seemed as if she had cast another spell on him. Just hearing her voice calmed the calamity and chaos that had been running rampant through his mind. He could think clearly. He tried to act normal as he replied. "Yes, I suppose so. It seems to have all the necessities we need. And" he added as a rare smile crossed his face, "it _is_ rather beautiful."

"Yes!" Rin screamed happily as she suddenly leapt up and (literally) tackled Sesshomaru in a hug. "Thank you, Sesshomaru! Thank you so much!"

Sesshomaru was stunned. Firstly, Rin was hugging him: while they lay together on the ground, no less. Secondly, she had called him by just his name for the first time ever. He tried to act cool and collected, but he couldn't resist putting his hands around her waist, lightly hugging her back, and whispering in her ear. "You're welcome Rin."

After a few seconds, Rin seemed to come to her senses and climbed off of Sesshomaru. She was blushing so brightly that her face seemed to glow. She had never called his "Sesshomaru" or hugged him, before, and she must have felt embarrassed of her actions. He stood up too, feeling surprisingly calm. "We should return to camp."

Rin nodded, her brown eyes still wide at what she had done. She seemed to decide something and said "My Lord, I'm sor-"

He cut her off by patting her on the head. "It's quite alright Rin. I didn't mind."

Reassured, she beamed up at him. "Let's go tell Master Jaken about this place!" she said excitedly as she walked back into the trees.

Sesshomaru followed her, but stopped to look back when he reached the ring of trees surrounding the clearing. Another important thought had just struck him.

How do I tell her?

It seemed obvious now, but at the time, he hadn't considered actually telling Rin about his feelings. But it seemed to be the most logical thing to do. Not only would it feel more right than hiding it from her, but it would surely become impossible to hide if he was already blushing and feeling funny around her. I will simply have to tell her soon, he thought, mentally closing the subject.

A small voice in the back of his head piped up, but how will she react?

Sesshomaru felt as if he had been doused in cold water. Of course he would have to consider Rin's reaction! How stupid was he to forget about such a huge detail. Obviously it would make him the happiest demon on earth if she loved him back, but what were the chances of that happening? She was a human and only 18, while he was a nearly immortal Demon lord. What if she hates me, he thought, now panicking. The small voice piped up again, this time reassuring him. If she had hated you, she would have run away 10 years ago when she first laid eyes on you. He agreed with the little voice and felt a little bit better. But he still had nagging doubts about telling her he loved her.

"Are you coming, My Lord?" Rin called from ahead of him.

This could end up being a problem, Sesshomaru thought as he entered the shade of the trees.

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**OtakuGirlEmi**: Oh, how right you are Fluffy. Anyway, how was chapter 2? Good, I hope. It was longer than chapter 1. I have BIG plans for chapter 3. A very awkward moment (perhaps moments, not sure yet) is about to take place at the camp. MMWWHAHAHAH! cough cough ...sorry about that, I tend to get a little carried away. So remember to READ and REVIEW! I will listen and reply to any ideas, questions, or comments (good or bad) you guys can come up with. As always, I hope you enjoyed chapter 2! Emi

**Reviewer Responses (I'll respond to my WONDERFUL reviewers here):**

**Sonracer**: I'm so happy that my story impressed you! Thanks for the compliment. Sorry ch. 2 took so long to finish! And I understand the curse of impatience, I have it too! Thanks for the review and the compliment!

**Lovegoddess567**: I'm very glad that you like it! Fluffy is a little out of character for me too, but it's surprisingly fun to write. I hope its fun to read! Thanks!

**Icechii**: YAY! You liked it! I'm happy. (can you tell?) And since I updated you don't have to kill me! More yay! Thank you!

**Siri:** I'm glad that you don't think Sesshomaru is ooc, I was afraid people would accuse me of that. And I agree with you, I've seen a lot of fic.s like that, and usually they tend to irritate me.Arigato for the review!

**Samm: **I'm very very happy that you liked that cliffy. Usually people hate them, but I tend to use them frequently in my stories. Thanks a bunch for the review.

**kattygirl32132:**I finally updated, so I hope you enjoyed! And I'm glad you liked the kiss! (I'm running out of ways to say thank you, so please don't hate me for repeating some) Thanks for the great review!

**darkmoonfang: **I'm ecstatic that you liked it. And I'm sowwy; I was trying to surprise you! Thanks, as always, buddy!

**Cring White Wolf:**(as you can see) I finally updated! Thanks for the review, and I hope you liked the update.

**Hanna: **I am so very happy that you like my fic, even though it's out of the ordinary for you! Believe it or not, it's pretty out of the ordinary for me! But not anymore! Thanks a lot for the review.

**Sailor Millenium:** I'm happy you're so excited about this fic! I hope that this chapter was long enough for you. (if it wasn't at least you can look forward to more chapters) And I love Sesshy too! Thanks!

**Jasmine: **I'm happy you liked the kiss! I thought people might be outraged that I did that. Anyway thanks for the review and support!

**Danica Blake: **I love that part too! I'm glad you thought it was funny and cute! Thanks for the compliment and review!

**jerseygrl246: **Another supporter of the Sesshy choking on his own spit, YAY! _I'm_ cracking up reading these reviews! Thanks so much!

**IceErines: **Glad you like the idea and the couple, I certainly do! (if I didn't, I wouldn't be writing this) I hope you liked ch.2 and I hope you keep reading. Thanks for the 2 reviews!

**lilkag0m3: **I'm glad you think it's sweet! And I hope you liked the update! Thanks for the sweet review!

**Thanks so much everyone, see you in chapter 3!**


	3. Unexpected Sightseeing

**Disclaimer: **I don't own Inuyasha or any of its characters and that's all I'm going to say for once because I can't think of anything else.

**OtakuGirlEmi: **Hello all. I'm back for round 3 of An Unlikely Pair, YAY! This chapter was originally planned to take place in ch. 2, but it got moved back. Anyway, since none of you probably care about that I'll just let you go ahead and read ch. 3! (My reviewer responses are at the end of the chapter again. You guys have once again overwhelmed me with kindness by sending me 17 whopping reviews! Rock on! I think I'll just keep them there from now on.)

**Chapter 3: Unexpected Sightseeing**

"Master Jaken! Master Jaken!"

The small green demon turned around from feeding Ah and Un (**A/N:** I hope I got their names right, I wasn't sure.Someone correct me if I'm incorrect) as Rin came running towards him, with Sesshomaru trailing behind. He couldn't help feeling slightly happy to see the silly girl smiling down at him, but he gave her the usual shrill scolding. "Honestly Rin, must you make such a racket! What is there to be so excited about?"

Rin, as always, kept smiling as if he hadn't said a word. "Master Jaken, Lord Sesshomaru and I found a perfect place to stay!" she said excitedly as she pointed toward the forest. "It's in the forest. And it has water, trees, flowers, animals, everything! And," she continued as she turned to glance at the youkai who stood next to her, "Lord Sesshomaru said we could stay there for a while!"

Jaken glanced at his master for conformation. Sesshomaru nodded slightly as Rin beamed. Is Lord Sesshomaru…-No! I surely must be imagining it- Blushing? Jaken wondered as he peered at his master, who did appear to have a soft flush spread across his pale cheeks.

Sesshomaru caught him staring and, directing his cold gaze to the small demon, asked, "Is there something wrong Jaken? Or am I just imagining you staring at me?"

Jaken instantly regretting his last thought, sometimes it felt as if Sesshomaru could read his mind! "N-no of course not master!" he stammered as he quickly tuned to finish tending to Ah and Un. Rin walked off to pack up what little belongings she had, humming as she went.

Sesshomaru walked to the edge of the cliff near the campsite. He desperately needed peace: He needed to think. His cool, amber eyes roamed over the land below him. The sun was reaching its peak in the sky and it shown down on the bright, blooming trees and animals of the forest below. Though he wasn't particularly fond of the bright, blinding sun, (he preferred the pale, cool, calm moon and the velvet black sky at night.) Sesshomaru couldn't help feeling a sense of calm as he looked over the land illuminated by the fiery orb. It showed certainty. The sun would always be in the sky, no matter what, every morning it would rise, an unending cycle. Something you could always count on.

Sesshomaru's heart and mind, however, were about as opposite as the sun. They both screamed with uncertainty and confusion. He had never felt like this before, and he wasn't sure what to do.

He knew that he had to tell Rin how he felt, but something told him not to, something held him back. For one of the only times in his life, Sesshomaru felt fear. He feared Rin's reaction. He feared getting rejected or somethingbadhappening. What if she disgusted and hated him so much that she left him forever? He couldn't bear to think of these things.

No, he silently reprimanded himself; Lord Sesshomaru does not fear anything. I am above such petty human emotions. I am one of the most powerful demon lords there is, I fear nothing.

Except a small human girl, that tiny voice cackled in the back of his mind.

"Master?"

Quickly shutting out the voice and closing the subject mentally, he turned to the petite girl standing behind him. "What is it, Rin?" He kept his back to her, not wanting to blush at the sight of her smile.

"We're ready to leave." Rin said as she walked over to stand next to the tall youkai. He saw her peer at his face out of the corner of his eye. Sesshomaru quickly placed a mask of indifference over his pale features. He didn't dare look at her. "My Lord, is something wrong? You seem troubled."

He couldn't avoid her any longer without seeming odd. Sesshomaru looked down at her and briskly replied, "No, Rin, there is nothing wrong. Why would there be?" Rin looked down at the ground, seemingly feeling stupid at her question and his cool reply. Sesshomaru felt guilty making her feel this way, but he couldn't have her suspecting something. If he ever did confess his feelings, he wanted it to be right. "Shall we take our leave?" he asked, looking down at the teenaged, trying to communicate that he wasn't mad at her.

Rin seemed to take his hint. (She really is more intelligent and mature than she appears, Sesshomaru thought) "Yes, my lord, we shall!" she said with a smile. Rin grabbed onto the sleeve of his white haori and gently led him over to a waiting Jaken and Ah/Un. Jaken was already atop the large two-headed creature, the staff of two heads lying next to him.

Rin started to climb onto Ah/Un, but a red ribbon (purchased on their last shopping trip) fell from the pouch tied to her kimono sash. As she bent down to retrieve it, Sesshomaru received a long view down the front of her kimono, making the Inu-Yokai's eyes widen and face turn bright red. He quickly averted his eyes, thankful that Rin had not noticed their wandering. Once the girl was on, Sesshomaru climbed behind her, sat down, and said, stuttering slightly. "L-let's go Jaken." As Ah/Un kicked off the ground and took to the air, Sesshomaru couldn't help thinking that perhaps hiding his feelings from Rin would be much harder than he had thought.

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Less than an hour later, the small group was completely settled in the beautiful clearing that Sesshomaru and Rin had discovered earlier that morning. Rin had quickly made a small fire and then disappeared. Sesshomaru and Jaken assumed that she was off exploring.

It was Jaken's turn to make dinner that night, so he was busily scurrying around as Sesshomaru stared into the fire, wrapped up in his own thoughts. Most of them concerning Rin. Ah/Un lay in the grass nearby, sleeping soundly as several brave butterflies perched on their ears.

A shrill voice broke through Sesshomaru's thoughts. He looked over at the small demon that had been talking to him. "What, Jaken? I didn't hear you. Speak up."

An extremely flustered Jaken quickly repeated, "My hands are very full right now, My Lord, so I thought that you could go fetch a bucket of water for me." Sesshomaru continued to stare at the green toad, hiding his surprise. Jaken had never asked Sesshomaru to do anything before, and this almost bordered an order.

What he had just said seemed to suddenly hit Jaken. He threw himself on the ground wailing, 'Oh, My Lord, I'm so sorry! I-I didn't realize what I was saying! PLEEEEEASE FFFOORRRGIIVVE MMMEEEEEE!" Giant tears sprang forth from the demons eyes as he lay on the ground like a small child.

Normally Sesshomaru would have been angry, but he actually found the green demon amusing, and besides, he had nothing better to do than fetch a bucket of water. Maybe the short walk would help him stop thinking about Rin.

"Enough Jaken," the youkai commanded as he bent to pick up a bucket. "I shall get the water."

Jaken looked up at him, large luminous eyes bulging. "Really? Oh thank you, My Lord, you are too gracious and forgiving of this old toad!" He cried as he continued to bow at Sesshomaru's feet.

Sesshomaru ignored the praise, turned, and walked off toward the spring.

Jaken stood up and watched the tall Lord walk in the trees. He felt so confused, but thankful, about his master's new attitude. He seems...almost happy, thought Jaken as he continued to cook. He quickly shook his head, as if trying to get rid of the thought. I should not think such things, Jaken scolded himself. Lord Sesshomaru is simply different lately because something must be bothering him. Lord Sesshomaru would never allow himself to feel a silly emotion like happiness.

Assured that nothing was changing about his great lord, Jaken continued to bustle around the fire, unaware of what was about to happen at the spring.

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As Sesshomaru entered the trees, he breathed a small sigh. He hoped that Jaken hadn't noticed anything different about him lately.

Even though he tried his best to act like his normal cold, quiet, arrogant self, it wasn't working. All he could think about was Rin and his several problems including telling the 18-year-old human how he felt and her reaction to the confession. He also couldn't help feeling…happy, almost giddy. Every time he thought of her a small smile crossed his beautiful features and his usually empty, golden eyes filled with warmth and life. He felt as if he wanted to do everything in his power to make sure that Rin always smiled, was always laughing joyously. Though he believed that the beautiful girl deserved someone so much better than him, he couldn't help but want her to be with him forever. He wanted to hold her in his arms, he wanted to kiss her again, he wanted…

Sesshomaru shook his head vigorously, trying to clear his mind of the numerous thought crossing his mind. Water, he reminded himself, I am supposed to be fetching water, not thinking about…her.

Sesshomaru had his head bent as he walked along, trying to distract himself by looking at the beautiful flowers that dotted the path. He walked for about ten minutes, and didn't even bother to look up when he heard the trickle of water that meant he had reached the stream.

The stream came from the mountains, so the water was cool and clear and looked very inviting in the humid twilight. The stream tricked into a round pool about4 feet deep at the most, where Sesshomaru was supposed to fill the bucket. He kept his eyes fixed on the ground as he bent down to the water's edge.

"Lord S-Sesshomaru?"

Sesshomaru jerked up, dropping the bucket in the process. As it clattered away, he looked up to face the voice.

"Rin?"

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Sesshomaru stood there staring, dumbfounded, at the girl standing in the middle of the pool, waist deep in water. Correction, the girl standing in the middle of the pool without any clothes on, waste deep in water. It seemed that Rin had not wandered off to explore, she had gone to take a bath. And Sesshomaru had caught her in the middle of it.

He knew that he should avert his eyes, should blush, stammer or simply run away. But he couldn't do any of that. All he could do was stand there, eyes transfixed on Rin's mature body as tiny rivulets of water ran down it and her long hair stuck to her back.

Rin's brain seemed to have also slowed down, as she hadn't made any move to cover herself and simply stood gaping at Sesshomaru, a bright red blush glowing on her face. How did this happen, where did he come from, she frantically thought as she stood there. Rin suddenly noticed where Sesshomaru's golden eyes were: roaming up and down her vulnerable form visible above the water.

This seemed to wake her brain up, making her squeak in delayed surprise. As Rin turned to get back into the water, her foot slipped on a rock, sending her falling backwards, arms flailing.

The instant she hit the cold water, time seemed to slow down. In shock, Rin's lungs inhaled a breath that was supposed to be filled with air; instead she received a mouthful of water, making her unable to breathe. Rin felt dizzy and scared. A sharp pain erupted near the back of her head, jolting her. Besides the pain and being unable to breathe, she couldn't get the image of Sesshomaru standing on the water's edge out of her mind. The memory of him saying her name and dropping the bucket in shock played in front of her eyes repeatedly like a broken film. Her mind started to close down, all she could see was him... His beautiful, pale face frozen in shock. He seemed so close….he was….right there?

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Rin felt herself being lifted up and a blinding light met her eyes.

"Rin! Rin, are you okay?" came a worried voice.

Rin's eyes adjusted as she coughed up water, freeing her lungs. She took several deep breathes before squinting up at the voice.

Why is he wet, Rin wondered, her mind still rather slow. Sesshomaru was looking down at her, silver hair plastered to his face as water dripped down it, looking almost scared. His eyes softened and he looked relived as Rin gave a slight nod. "Good, you fell and hit your head on a rock. You also inhaled some water, I see." He explained as Rin looked away to cough again.

The reason she had felt herself being lifted, the reason that he was wet hit her. Sesshomaru must have dived in after her when she fell. She had probably only been underwater for seconds. Suddenly she realized why he was so close to her…Sesshomaru was holding Rin's cold body bridal-style in his arms!

Rin glanced downward. Sure enough, a clawed hand was gently wrapped around her shoulders while the other was under her knees. He was standing on the water's edge, holding her. A blush appeared on Rin's face so bright it would have put herred kimono to shame.

Sesshomaru seemed to understand what had occurred to her and he blushed even brighter. But I couldn't have let her drown! He thought. He had to save her, even if that meant holding a naked Rin in his arms.

"S-Sesshomaru?" he looked down at the girl, who averted her eyes from his. "Could you…uumm…Put me down?" she stuttered through chattering teeth. "I-I need t-to get dressed." Sesshomaru nodded and set her on the ground, then turned away to give her some privacy. (Even though she really didn't need it at that point)

Rin walked over to her clothes and pulled them on, teeth still clattering and face still red. Sesshomaru had saved her again. The thought somehow seemed to warm her and made her blush stay ever present.

Even though the Inu-Youkai standing behind her was oblivious to the fact, Rin was in love with him.

She had adored him from the moment she had met eyes with him in the forest so long ago. Even though he was the strongest demon she knew, he could be so gentle and kind. He listened to her, and smiled at her, he put up with her. And, she thought as she gently pressed her hand to her lips, he kissed me. Yes, Rin had fallen in love with a youkai lord.

When she finished tying her sash, she turned and announced "I'm done." Her eyes met a haori-less (That's not even a word...Oh well) Sesshomaru and the blush that had faded sprung forth once again. "M-my lord. What happened to your haori?" she stammered, eyes glued to his muscular, bare chest. (Oh, how the tables have turned…)

Sesshomaru's golden eyes met hers. "It was wet," he replied simply. "I didn't want to wear it, and I thought I would dry quicker this way."

Rin nodded, speechless and unable to move her feet, her eyes, much like his had only minutes before, roamed over the bare expanse of his chest. Suddenlya sharp pain erupted at the back of her head. "Ouch..." she muttered as she pressed her hand to a lump on the back of her head.

Sesshomaru was at her side immediately. "What's wrong?" he asked, his eyes furrowed in worry. Rin couldn't believe how he was acting, it was so…unSesshomaruish… (Once again, not a real word), but she was starting to enjoy it and she felt very happy that he was concerned about her.

"Oh, it's just a bump on my head, no big deal." She said, trying to brush it off as her head gave another throb. "Well, shall we head back to camp?"

She felt arms around her again and was amazed as Sesshomaru picked her up bridal-style again. "No," he said in his usual no-nonsense tone. "You are not okay. You are cold and wet and obviously in pain. I will carry you back to camp." Rin opened her mouth to protest. She was 18 after all, not a child. (Even though she was very much enjoying his embrace) But she was silenced by Sesshomaru. "No arguments Rin." He commanded in his usual authority-filled voice.

Rin shut her mouth, but continued to look into his deep eyes. Such cold eyes, she thought. But so painfully beautiful, like a flower covered in frost. A smile crossed Rin's face and she watched as his eyes warmed. Maybe all they need is melting, she thought happily as she resignedly placed her head against his bare chest. Wind whistled past her ears as Sesshomaru started running, and she felt her insides heat up happily.

Rin closed her eyes and was asleep in seconds.

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"My lord, what happened?" shrieked Jaken as he saw Rin's limp form being carried against a shirtless Sesshomaru's chest.

"Nothing Jaken," replied Sesshomaru in a monotone voice as he gently laid a sleeping Rin on a blanket near the fire. "And" he added as he turned to face the confused demon. "You would do well not to ask Rin any questions when she wakes up."

Jaken, noticing the protective glint in his Lord's eyes, nodded his head vigorously. "Yes, of course, my lord!" Wanting to get away from his odd-acting lord Jaken walked over to Ah/Un to give them their dinner. Later the small green demon fell asleep next to the large beast, snoring loudly.

After eating a small dinner, Sesshomaru sat down next to a still-sleeping Rin. Even though she had dried well near the fire, Sesshomaru pulled a small blanket over her. The blanket barely covered her, as it had been bought several years before.

As his eyes looked her up and down for any bruises on other harm, he remembered seeing her in the pool earlier and a soft blush crept across his face. She was so beautiful and had such a graceful figure. Any boy would have fallen for her just by looking at her. Sesshomaru leaned over Rin and brushed her brown hair out of her eyes, smiling shyly.

She looked so carefree and happy, even in sleep. Sesshomaru heard her mumble something and leaned closer to her to hear. "…Ses...Sesshomaru…"

The listening Inu-youkai felt himself turning bright red. _Rin _was dreaming about _him_? His interest skyrocketed and he wondered what she could possibly be dreaming. He listened as Rin mumbled something else. "Sesshomaru….I…" she trailed off and rolled over, still sleeping soundly.

Sesshomaru was dying from curiosity. He wanted to know what on earth Rin was trying to say. He didn't dare hope that maybe she was trying to say the very words he was pining to say to her. He leaned over her once again: this time to plant a small kiss, as light as a feather, on Rin's cheek. The sleeping girl didn't stir as the demon lord gently took her hand in his own clawed one and whispered the words he so wanted to tell her.

"I love you Rin."

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**OtakuGirlEmi: **Hello again! I hope everyone liked chapter 3! (I say that every time, I must be getting so boring...But I really do mean it!) It is the longest chapter so far at 5 pages total, but it's pretty chopped up. Even though I had already had this chapter planned for a while, it turned out much differently than I thought it would. I like it a lot better now. Though I was a little worried that people would say Sesshomaru is ooc. Anyway, In chapter 4 you get to meet the Inuyasha gang and see how everyone had changed in the past 10 years, it's sure gonna be interesting to say the least! Once again I would like to say thank you to my supportive reviewers! You guys are so cool! Keep up the good work. Read and Review! Emi

**Reviewer Responses: **

**LadyRinUchiha: **Thank you! I'm glad you think it's a nice story. And you don't have to wait for ch. 3 any longer. Thanks for the review!

**hm: **Thank you for the nice compliment. Personally, I think Sesshomaru is kawaii! Thank you so much for the review!

**Darkmoonfang: **I'm ecstatic that you like it so much, but I'm sorry it made you cry. Thanks for the ideas and suggestions buddy! Thank you so much and I look forward to your future reviews.

**Punkskater: **Hello again! Of course I remember you! I'm so happy that you like both my fic.s! (I'm in the middle of writing ch. 5 for Decisions, Decisions, right now, so look for that soon.) I can't believe you liked my story that much and I am so happy! I absolutely can't wait to read you fic! Thank you so much for all the reviews!

**jerseygrl246**: Yes, I had no idea either! (just joking) Thank you so much for the review and compliment!

**Cassie1**: I have updated finally. Sorry I wasn't able to use your suggestion! Thanks for the review!

**Siri:** Thank you so much for your compliments! I hope you liked chapter 3 as much as ch. 2. Yes, I would love to see Sesshomaru blush…Faints in overwhelming happiness …Wakes up Oh, sorry about that, anyway thank you so much for the wonderful review!

**AznAnimeFanXP**I'm glad you like the story! Yes, I like the hugging part too! Thanks for the review!

**Sailor Millenium**Thank you for the compliment! (You guys are starting to make me blush...) And I hope you liked ch. 3, it was so fun to write. And, by the way, I love long reviews, so yours was great! Thanks for the review! P.S. GO SESSHOMARU LOVERS!

**Sango: **The third chapter is now done. Did you like it? It was so fun to write the awkward moment! Arigato for the review!

**Itzel: **I wish I had a Sesshomaru of my own too...I don't even have a plushie! (I need to go buy one) Yes the story is fluffy, but I'm so glad you like it, some people hate fluffs. Thank you!

**azuhiHikura: **I am delighted that you like my fic. Thank you for the compliment, I was afraid that it would be too much like other fic.s out there. I'm also happy that I don't have to die since I updated! Yay for me! Anyway, thanks for the nice review! P.S. YAY GOOD GRAMMAR!

**Danica Blake**Thank you so much for the compliment! (That is one of the nicest compliments I've ever gotten. Now I _am _blushing!) I'm glad my chapters are long enough, but I hope to make them longer in the future. Sakura Blossoms is a great story; I can't wait to read more! Thank you so much!

**Jedi Mistress 1990**I'm glad you like it! And thank you for putting me on your favs! Thanks for the review!

**Britt: **They certainly are the cutest together! And I love them too! Thank you for the review and the compliment.

**SessObsessed**I'm so glad that you liked ch. 2 so much. Hopefully you enjoyed ch. 3 just as much! Please don't smite me though, because I updated! (Cowers in fear) Oh, you won't smite me now? YAY for me! Thanks for the review! (P.S. We're all Sess Obsessed at heart)

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**OtakuGirlEmi**: Wow, I just realized that I used the words happy, thank, and you a lot in my RR. I need to go find new vocabulary words. pulls out a copy of Webster's Oh, you're still here? I'll see you in ch. 4! Bye!


	4. A Surprising Reunion

**Disclaimer: I do not own Fluffy or anyone else from Inuyasha…Until I get my lawyer on the phone!**

**OtakuGirlEmi: **Konnichiwa everyone and welcome to chapter 4 of An Unlikely Pair! I'm sorry that I haven't updated in so long. School has me constantly swamped with homework and other stuff, so fanfiction kinda drops into the background, but I promise totry to do better.Anyhoos, welcome to chapter 4 of An Unlikely Pair, A Surprising Reunion. I want to dedicate this chapter to one of my best friends, Darkmoonfang, for helping me think of it. She always has great ideas. I couldn't have done this without you Darkmoonfang! Thanks for always being there when I get writer's block!

Anyway in this chapter we get to see how the Inuyasha group is doing after8 years. Thank you guys for all your reviews! Last chapter I received 23 reviews for my wonderful readers! I could hardly believe it! You guys rock! Keep up the good work and I hope everyone likes chapter 4!

Oh, from now on, I'm probably going to use the reviewer reply thing, so I won't do replies here anymore, just thank-yous. So I'd like to thank Darkmoonfang, jerseygrl246, SessObsessed, D-Chan3, HyperRikku59, god-ROCKS, Icerose, Danica Blake, Sesshomaru's-gal, mushineko, SetoKaibaWheeler, Jedi Mistress 1990, I. The Silence, and Itzel for all their WONDERFUL, AWESOME, SUPER-FUN reviews. As always, I'm super thankful for your support and suggestions. Oh, and Violet Poter, look for your idea in a few chapters from now. I thought it was very cute, so I can't wait to write it! If you have any suggestions on what the demon should be like, let me know!

**Chapter 4, Part 1: A Surprising Reunion**

Sesshomaru opened his eyes and squinted at the bright sun. He felt a wave of confusion sweep over him. How had he gotten there? The last thing he remembered was whispering in Rin's ear, and then…nothing. He closed his eyes, trying to block out the harsh light and get his brain functioning again.

I must have fallen asleep. He cursed loudly as he scolded himself for his own stupidity. I hope Rin's okay. How on earth did I fall asleep when I should have been watching over her? What if a demon had attacked? I'm such a-

"My lord?"

Sesshomaru's eyes flew open as he realized where the voice was coming from.

Rin lay beside him, staring at him with her large brown eyes. It was clear that she was confused and panicky, as her eyes were wide and she kept glancing around nervously. Sesshomaru didn't exactly blame her. It appeared that when he had fallen asleep the previous night, he had ended up sleeping next to Rin, still clutching her hand in his.

"My lord, what happened?" Rin asked, propping herself up on one elbow while she looked around, her panic seemed to lessen slightly as she realized that she was at camp. "How did I get here? I don't remember…" she trailed off uncertainly, waiting for an answer.

Sesshomaru didn't know what to say. He couldn't tell her that he had confessed his love to her, held her hand, and then fallen asleep next to her. But she was expecting an answer and he was having a hard time coming up with one.

Sesshomaru, the usual stoic expression placed on his face, stood up. "Last night, when I was carrying you back, you fell asleep." He said, watching her as she stood up and stretched.

"Okay, but how did you…you know…" Rin gestured at Sesshomaru, a bright blush appearing on her face. She was asking how he had ended up next to her, but couldn't quite say it.

Sesshomaru felt his face heat up, but made sure to keep his voice even and firm. "Rin…" he said, warning her not to ask.

Rin hesitated for a moment, trying to gauge the consequences of pushing the question further. She didn't want Sesshomaru mad at her, but she wanted to know how he had ended up sleeping next to her. Finally, she sighed and replied "Yes, Lord Sesshomaru…" sealing an unspoken agreement to not ask about the question.

The two of them said no more to each other as Rin started a small fire and prepared breakfast. Sesshomaru gracefully perched upon a nearby rock and contently watched as she bustled around the campfire. She moves so…happily, Sesshomaru thought to himself, his lips curling slightly. The girl he observed seemed to glow with an inner light that radiated mirth, care, compassion, and loyalty. Her actions reflected her innocent, happy nature while her eyes gleamed with a maturity that one might miss simply glancing at her. Upon further observation, one would probably notice that her actions, as joyful as they seemed, also held purpose and knowledge. Rin was peculiar girl, to say the least. She chose to travel with a small imp, two-headed dragon, and the cold, untouchable Inu-Youkai Lord Sesshomaru of the Western lands rather than live in a human village. Instead of looking for a husband or pondering the latest fashions, she chose to cook and pick flowers. She confused and surprised him, but Sesshomaru felt something for Rin that he had never known before.

Love.

It was that amazing, magical, warm emotion that had melted Sesshomaru's cold, impenetrable heart. Before Rin had come into his life, he had been doomed to have a heart forever frozen; Cold and distant, suspended in a terrible icy beauty. But he could barley recognize that Sesshomaru anymore. His heart now felt full of life and true emotions because of her. Rin compelled him give away rare smiles and do anything in his power to keep her happy.

And you can't even tell her this one simple fact, the little voice in his head jeered. You're a coward, unworthy of her. Sesshomaru glared at the ground, anger at his own fear welled up inside of him as he thought this. He clenched his fist, but allowed no more emotion to escape him. I must control these emotions, he told himself. Sesshomaru shifted his eyes to Rin in an attempt to calm his thoughts.

"ACHOO!" Rin's high-pitched sneeze broke the fragile silence of the clearing; jerking Sesshomaru out of his thought and making him blink in surprise.

Rin doubled over as she sneezed twice more (**A/N**: has anyone ever heard the superstition that if you sneeze 3 times, someone doesn't like you? I don't really believe this, but I just thought that it was an interesting little tidbit of information. And, no I'm not saying that someone doesn't like Rin, I just decided to make her sneeze 3 times). When she straightened, her eyes met golden orbs. Sesshomaru leaned over her, his eyes uncharacteristically soft. Rin felt her cheeks glow crimson. He's so close, she thought while trying to shut out mental images that attacked her mind. "My lord, what is it?" she asked, slightly breathless from the closeness of the inu-youkai.

Sesshomaru swiftly placed his ivory, clawed hand on her forehead, making Rin's blush brighten and stomach flip. "You have a fever."

Rin blinked up at him and shook her head. "A fever? I don't have a fever." She felt her own forehead, only to discover that it was warmer than normal. She remembered how she had felt slightly cold since she had woken and she had just sneezed. But I don't want Sesshomaru to worry about me, she thought as she shook her head no.

"Yes, you do. Now stop arguing." Sesshomaru commanded, though not unkindly. Rin immediately closed her mouth, but continued to glower at Sesshomaru, a smile played at her lips.

She watched as Sesshomaru walked over to a still sleeping Jaken. (Jaken must be a heavy sleeper to not have heard anything that happened) Sesshomaru bent down and picked up and rock, then straightened and chucked the rock at the green imp's head.

"WAAHHHHH!" Jaken screamed in surprise and pain as he was woken up. "What was that for?" he yelled at Sesshomaru as he massaged a swollen lump on his head. After a couple minutes of silence, the color drained from Jaken's face as he realized what he had done. In his usual fashion, he threw himself at the Inu-Youkai's feet, shrieking "PLEEEEEAAASEEE FORRRGIVVE MEEEEE, LORD SESSHOMARUUUUUU!"

Sesshomaru looked down at the imp, his face as cold as ever as he picked Jaken up by his collar and brought him to eye level. "Jaken, be quiet. It's too early in the morning for your unnecessary howling." Sesshomaru paused, and then continued. "I am going to take Rin to a village to see a doctor; she is sick and has a fever. We'll be back tomorrow. Stay here and watch Ah-Un."

Sesshomaru dropped Jaken on his backside and turned away. "Yes my lord!" cried Jaken, bowing on the ground. "I shall await your return patiently and ever viglant!" Jaken fell over as another rock collided with his head.

"I told you to stop shrieking, Jaken."

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Sesshomaru walked over to Rin. "We are going a village; you are going to see a doctor."

"But, My Lord, I'm not sick! I'm perfectly fine!" she protested, waving her arms in emphasis. A sudden wave of pain and dizziness erupted in her head and she staggered, only to be caught by Sesshomaru. Rin had no choice but to admit defeat. "…Fine." She muttered.

"Good, now rest. I'll tell you when we arrive." Commanded Sesshomaru as he scooped Rin up in his arm (**A/N**: I felt so stupid after a reviewer pointed out to me that in the last chapter, I say that Sesshomaru has 2 arms, when he only has one. I apologize profusely for this error! I was on such a roll writing that the thought didn't even occur to me. Sesshomaru always appear as perfect in my fangirl mind, so I apologize!). The girl blushed brightly as she nodded her head, and Sesshomaru almost laughed, but suppressed it. Oh, Rin, please don't ever leave me. Life would be so much worse if you weren't here, thought the great Inu-Youkai as he sprinted into the trees and out of sight. Rin thought she imagined it, but she could have sworn that he was smiling.

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"We're here," said Sesshomaru in his icy baritone as he set Rin on her feet. The girl glanced around as she stretched, the ride had been short and uneventful, but she felt herself still blushing, remembering how he had held her.

Several nearby villagers looked up at Sesshomaru fearfully, while children clung to their mothers. One villager tried to sneak of without being seen, probably to tell the village leader that a demon was there. Though Rin was used to these reactions, she never could understand them. The villager's fear seemed so unjustified and silly to her; she never thought of Sesshomaru as scary. True, he was very powerful and capable of being ruthless, but Rin had never feared him. And so, a small sigh of exasperation escaped her lips as she walked with her beloved Youkai to the center of the village.

"I am going to go ask the shop owner if there are any doctors around. You stay here and don't strain yourself," commanded Sesshomaru as he entered a nearby shop. Rin nodded, but as soon as she was sure he was gone, she walked off. Rin knew she shouldn't disobey her lord, she would get reprimanded for it later, but she couldn't help wanting to inspect all of the shops in the village, fever or not.

After walking around cooing and staring at jewelry and clothes, Rin decided that she should probably return to Sesshomaru before he got too angry. As she tuned around, she bumped into someone who had been standing behind her.

"Oww…" muttered Rin as she landed on the ground. "Oh, I'm sorry. I didn't see you."

A hand reached down and pulled her up from the dirt. A voice insisted, "No, no it was all my fault, I should have been paying better attention. Are you hurt?"

Rin's eyes widened as she took in the stranger's face. He had a good-natured smile on his face and a gold hoop dangled from one ear. His dark hair was pulled back into a small ponytail, leaving his handsome features exposed. Deep purple robes and a gold staff identified him as a monk. He seemed so familiar, yet Rin couldn't put a name to the man. "No I'm fine, and thank you."

The monk peered at her, eyebrows furrowed, as if he too recognized her from somewhere. But his features cleared and he remarked cheerfully. "You are quite the beauty. Would you consider bearing my children?"

Rin, taken aback be his sudden question, felt her mouth drop open. He's a monk, she thought, he's not supposed to say stuff like that! And-and what does he mean? He can't be serious! She tried to stutter out a response, but was left swallowing air as the monk cheerfully smiled at her, seemingly oblivious to her discomfort.

"HENTAI!"

A loud yell broke through the air as a woman wearing a green and pink kimono literally ran at the monk, swinging a large…Boomerang? Thought Rin, her surprise mixed with that same feeling of implacable familiarity.

Rin gasped in surprise as the brow-haired woman brought the huge weapon down on the monk's head with a resounding crack. The monk fell to the ground, dazed, and mumbled, "S-sorry dear, it's a bad habit….you know I didn't mean it…"

The woman apparently wasn't worried about the monk's health as she grabbed him by the collar and lifted him up. "YOU DIDN'T MEAN IT? SORRY? MIROKU, YOU ARE A COMPLETE AND UTTER BAKA AND HENTAI AND I WONDER WHY ON EARTH I MARRIED YOU! YOU DO THIS ALL THE TIME AND I'M SICK OF IT! I'M YOU WIFE FOR GOODNESS SAKE! CAN'T YOU BE FAITHFUL?"

Rin watched the woman yell at the poor monk, flinching slightly, and then something clicked. "Did you say Miroku?" she asked, a bit hesitant to step into the argument.

The woman stopped yelling and turned towards Rin, a puzzled expression on her porcelain face. "Yes, that's this baka's name. Why?"

"I know you! Both of you!" Exclaimed Rin, smiling as she realized who the pair was. "You're Miroku and Sango, you two travel with Lord Sesshomaru's brother Inuyasha, right?"

Sango and Miroku nodded, though Sango still looked puzzled. She dropped the monk and stepped closer to Rin, looking her up and down. Her eyes widened as she asked, "You can't possibly be…Rin? The last time we saw you, you were only 10."

Rin nodded happily, she had always liked Inuyasha's traveling companions, even though Sesshomaru didn't. They were always so kind to her, and they were the only other humans that she knew. "Yes, after that run-in 8 years ago, Lord Sesshomaru, Master Jaken, and I headed west to patrol milord's lands, so we were gone for a long time. I didn't realize we were so close to your village."

"Did you say eight years ago?" asked Miroku, surprised at the information. Rin nodded. "That would make you 18, right?" Rin nodded again. "I see. Well, this isn't our village, it's Kagome and Inuyasha's now that they're mated and Kagome is head priestess."

Now it was Rin's turn to be surprised. "They're mated? As in married?"

Sango nodded and picked up her boomerang. "Yes, they got engaged about a year after we killed Naraku probably shortly after you left, 8 years ago. They've been married for 7 years now."

"Don't forget to tell her about us." chimed in Miroku as he massaged his sore head. Sango blushed as Miroku wrapped an arm around her waist. "Sango and I have been married for 6 years! And," he added, patting Sango's flat stomach, "we're expecting our first child."

Rin clapped excitedly as she cheered. "Congratulations! That's wonderful!" Miroku beamed as Sango continued to blush.

"So what brings you here anyway Rin?" asked the red demon slayer.

"Oh! I almost forgot! Lord Sesshomaru thinks I'm sick and insists that I see doctor, so we came to the nearest village looking for one, but I lost my Lord a while ago. He's probably not very happy with me." Rin replied sheepishly.

"No, Rin, I am not."

Rin nearly jumped as a clawed hand grabbed her shoulder and the familiar icy voice spoke. She turned around to come face to face with the lord of the Western lands. "I'm sorry, my lord. I was looking for a doctor when I ran into Sango and Miroku." She paused, then asked, "This is your brother's village, did you know that?"

At the mention of Inuyasha, Sesshomaru's face hardened visibly. "No, I was not aware of this." For the first time, he seemed to notice Sango and Miroku, who were observing the scene from a safe distance. "Ah, the monk and the demon exterminator."

Sango didn't look too pleased to see the youkai. "Sesshomaru, I see you haven't changed. We were just telling Rin that we know a good doctor nearby."

Sesshomaru continued to stare coldly at the pair. "Really? It is of no matter to me. We were just preparing to leave. We shall look in another village, Rin, come along."

"But, My Lord, there's a doctor here! And-and what if I get worse?" asker Rin, silently begging that her master would give in. She knew that he hated Inuyasha, but she hoped that just this once his concern for her would win out. I really do feel worse though, thought Rin. She had developed the chills and a large headache in the past ten minutes, which meant her fever was getting worse.

Sesshomaru's eyes softened a little as he stared in Rin's chocolate eyes. "Fine. Take me to this doctor." Was all he said as he scooped Rin into his arm again. Rin blushed and shifted her eyes away from Miroku and Sango, afraid of what they might think. Sesshomaru must really be worried about me, she thought, he's never done anything like this before.

Sango and Miroku said nothing as they headed through the village. People stared curiously at Rin and Sesshomaru, making the teenager blush. She would have insisted on walking herself, but she loved being held by Sesshomaru. The odd-looking group stopped at a small hut near the base of a shrine.

But before anyone could say anything, an angry man burst through the door of the hut. "I'm tellin' ya Kagome, I smell that jerk Sesshomaru! He's gotta be nearby!" The man stopped dead in his tracks as he locked eyes with his brother standing outside his hut.

Rin smiled as she recognized Sesshomaru's younger brother, Inuyasha. He was a few inches taller than the last time she had seen him, but otherwise he looked very much the same as he had 8 years ago. His sword, Tetsusaiga rested on his side and his pretty, white hair fell farther down his back. His golden eyes, the same shade as his brother's, but so different, held more warmth than Rin remembered, though his ferocious anger seemed the same.

Rin's thoughts were interrupted as a young woman stepped out of the hut. "Inuyasha, honestly, stop yelling will you? The neighbors are gonna com-" she stopped mid sentence as she too realized that people were standing outside her house. "Oh," she said, quickly placing a smile on her face, "Hello everyone." The woman wore a miko's red hakana and white haori, and her beautiful, long, raven hair fell over her shoulders. Her deep brown eyes held patience and love, which she was required to have, being Inuyasha's wife. Her porcelain skin seemed to glow with her kind smile.

Inuyasha cut in rudely, "Kagome you can stop being nice. All we need to say is hello and goodbye. What the hell do _you_ want, _Sesshomaru_?" Inuyasha spat 'you' and 'Sesshomaru' as if he were talking about something disgusting.

"Inuyasha!" scolded Kagome, "don't be so rude!" she turned to Sesshomaru and looked into his golden eyes, shocking Rin by showing no fear. In fact, her warm eyes welled with motherly love. "Hello Sesshomaru, please pardon Inuyasha, we're glad to have you here. But, I _am_ curious about why you came to our village."

Sesshomaru looked coldly down his nose at Kagome, showing his usual distain for humans, though Rin could tell that he was putting up a mask and really didn't mind Kagome. Kagome seemed to also know this and smiled slightly. "I am here because I was told by those two," he gestured to Sango and Miroku, "that a doctor lived here."

Kagome nodded. "Yes, I'm the village head priestess and healer. But, if you don't mind me asking, why do you need a doctor? If I remember correctly, youkai don't get sick." Kagome's eyes shifted to Rin for the first time, and she smiled at her. It seems that she knows who I am, thought Rin, impressed with the miko's memory.

"Rin is sick with a fever." Replied Sesshomaru. Rin nodded begrudgingly at his statement as a wave of dizziness hit her. She hoped that Kagome would take her, she was feeling worse, though she wouldn't tell Sesshomaru.

Inuyasha glared at his brother. "When did you start caring about humans, huh? I thought you hated them. So why'd you change your tune?" His golden eyes shifted to Rin and she felt herself blush as he looked her up and down. The hanyou's steely gazed softened as Rin smiled at him weakly.

Kagome elbowed Inuyasha in the ribs hard, silencing him, then she smiled warmly and said, "Well, then of course I'll see her. Bring her inside." She gestured to her hut.

Sesshomaru didn't respond, but followed her past the protesting Inuyasha. "Wait Kagome! He can't just march in here and demand that you help! That's not right! He can go somewhere else! Kagome? Kagome are you even listening to me? Hey!" Miroku walked past him, smiling sheepishly and shrugged his shoulders as if to say 'Sorry, I couldn't do anything about it'. Sango followed close behind, carrying her Hiraikotsu and giving Inuyasha her usual scorning glare for yelling at Kagome. "Wait, Miroku, back me up on this! Sango, come on, you agree with me, right? Oi, get back here! OI!"

Everyone ignored the hanyou and continued into the hut. After waiting a couple minutes, Inuyasha gave in, and followed the group into his house, glaring at Sesshomaru and pouting.

This is going to be interesting, thought Rin as she smiled.

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Sesshomaru's gold eyes swiftly surveyed the house as he entered, identifying the exits (in case of emergency), and where his idiotic half-brother was brooding. The house was a simple one-floor, four room layout. The room he was standing in was the living room, dining room, and kitchen, with a small table, several comfortable cushions, and a small fire with a kettle on top of it. The room to his left's door was hanging open, revealing a large mattress on the floor, an odd assortment of clothing and items that he had never seen, and a bright yellow backpack. Sesshomaru figured that it was Inuyasha and Kagome's room. The room to his left had the door drawn shut, so he couldn't tell what its use was.

He followed Kagome down a short hallway off of the main room. His feet padded silently over the shiny, polished wood as he and Rin stared at the walls they passed. Every couple of feet a thing resembling a painting hung on the wall in a small box of glass, except they were clearer and more real looking. Sesshomaru had never seem anything like them before and he studied each one carefully; one of his brother and Kagome smiling happily on their wedding day, a group shot that had the demon slayer, monk, two-tail cat demon, and the small kistune in it, another of people he assumed were Kagome's family in her era, one of the old priestess named Kaede and the fool Totosai, and finally one of two babies Sesshomaru didn't recognize playing on a blanket. The strange items puzzled him and he squinted at them. They must be strange items from Kagome's era, Sesshomaru thought.

The young Miko noticed Sesshomaru looking at the wall and stopped. "They're called pictures." She explained, though Sesshomaru didn't respond, Rin nodded her head, wanting to hear more. "They are used a lot like paintings are used in this era. They help to remember certain memories and record important events." She pointed to the picture of herself and Inuyasha on their wedding day. "See? This one will always show me how happy I was when I married Inuyasha." Kagome pointed back a few feet down the hallway to the other pictures he had passed, "All of those show us our friends and family. Though they will continue to change, we'll always have a picture to help us remember something special."

Sesshomaru said nothing, but Rin studied the picture in front of her, her mouth open slightly. They're so amazing, she thought excitedly. I wish I had one of these 'pictures'. Almost as if she could read Rin's mind, Kagome said, "I'm sure that Inuyasha would want one of you two."

Sesshomaru's mouth fell open at Kagome's suggestion, and Rin had to suppress a giggle. It was not often that her master let true emotion like surprise shine through his usual mask of indifference. "I'm quite sure that my half-breed of a brother would want no such thing." Sesshomaru replied coldly after closing his gaping mouth. Rin sighed in exasperation. He's so prideful, she thought. He and Inuyasha will never admit to actually liking each other! They act like children! But she chose to keep her comments to herself, as they would do nothing but anger Sesshomaru, which she didn't want.

Kagome shrugged her shoulders, "You never know. Inuyasha has changed a lot." She turned around and took the last few steps to a hanging door, pushing it open and walking in.

Sesshomaru followed her into the fourth room of the house. In the center of the room lay a comfortable-looking mattress with several blankets on it. A small white box on a shelf on the wall overflowed with various medical equipment such as bandages, salve, and thread. A pair of crutches leaned against the wall under the shelf, right next to a clean, white water basin that drained outside the house. Several sitting cousins sat against the opposite wall near the two windows in the room. Sesshomaru figured that this was where Kagome cared for her patients and was mildly impressed at the cleanliness.

"Lay her here," said Kagome as she knelt down next to the mattress. Sesshomaru did as he was commanded and set Rin gently down. He felt worried and uncertain, Rin's now pale face was flushed from her high fever and she was shivering slightly.

Kagome stood up and turned toward the door, "I'll be right back, okay? You can sit on one of the cushions if you like." Sesshomaru nodded, but stayed standing.

The moment Kagome left, he knelt down next to Rin, concern showing in his eyes. "How do you feel, Rin?"

"Oh, not too bad. It's only a small f-fever." She replied between her shivers. She grasped his hand reassuringly, making Sesshomaru's stomach flip. "Don't worry, okay?" Sesshomaru flinched slightly as Rin went into a coughing fit, and then caught her breath. His canine hearing instantly picked up the rasping in Rin's throat and the sound of the gunk swishing in her lungs. Rin's worse than she's letting on, Sesshomaru thought worriedly as he stood again. (He didn't want to look too comfortable in his wretched brother's house when Kagome returned.)

The silence between them was broken as Kagome reentered the room. "Sorry about that, I had to go get some more supplies." She said, smiling apologetically at Rin. Rin smiled back as she fought another coughing fit.

Kagome sat down next to the girl. "Can you sit up?" she asked. Rin nodded and obeyed, feeling conscious of Sesshomaru's eyes on her. She didn't want to give away her discomfort, so she tried to smile and act normally.

After several minutes of tests, Rin was allowed to lie back down. "Well, I think you have a small case of pneumonia, Rin." Said Kagome as she put away her things. The miko noticed the Inuyoukai lord sulking out of concern in the corner and turned to him. "But don't worry. She should be better with some rest and medicine. Though," added Kagome, her voice veiled with a suggestion and firmness, "I think it would be better for her to stay for a couple of days. Just to make sure she recovers. Pneumonia isn't anything to mess with."

Sesshomaru's eyebrows knitted together slightly, I see she's still as impudent as always, ordering me around. But, he thought as he gazed at Rin as she coughed again, she is probably right. And, as much as I detest it, I will have to endure being in the presence of my brother for two days, but only for Rin. "Yes. We will stay." Was all the lord said. As Kagome raised her eyebrows at him, he added, through gritted teeth (technically fangs) "With your permission."

"That sounds great! I'll go tell Inuyasha and the others. I'm sure they'll be thrilled." Kagome left the room, closing the flap behind her.

Sesshomaru moved from his spot near the wall and knelt next to Rin. "I trust it's okay if we stay?" he asked, already knowing her answer.

"Yes, of course!" Rin replied excitedly. "It's been so long since I've seen Kagome, and I want to hear all about life for her and your brother. And I think they're both happy you're here, my lord."

In a rare act of emotion, Sesshomaru rolled his eyes. "I highly doubt that, Rin." The girl shrugged her shoulders sheepishly. Her petite frame shook as another fit of coughing overtook her. "What I want you to focus on is getting rest." He said, his gold eyes softer than normal. "Are you okay?"

Rin felt herself blush. She was so happy that he was concerned about her, and he was even willing to be a guest in Inuyasha's house just so she could recover. Oh, I love you so much! Rin thought as she looked into his handsome face. "Yes. I'm going tobe fine." She assured him.

"I'm glad." He said. Before Sesshomaru realized what he was doing, he had grabbed Rin's hand in his own, causing the teenager t blush profusely (though he was sure that his face was just as red.).

"L-Lord Sesshomaru?" asked a hesitant Rin. "I..I-"

"WHAT THE HELL DO YOU MEAN, HE'S STAYING FOR TWO DAYS!"

Inuyasha's booming yell startled the pair as they quickly broke all contact. Kagome must have relayed to news, thought Rin, as she felt an imaginary sweat drop appear on her head. "I guess that's going well." She remarked as she glanced over at Sesshomaru, her cheeks still red from the memory of her hand in his.

Trying desperately to keep his face straight, Sesshomaru replied. "I don't know if I'd say that."

Rin started to laugh, and he felt himself smile.

……Meanwhile… a young miko paused outside that door flap, listening to the conversation and smiling to herself. She tucked a few stay stands of her raven hair behind her ears, sighing in happiness.

I think I'll let them be alone for a while, she thought confidently as she decided to walk back to the kitchen. After all, they're in _love_!

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**OtakuGirlEmi**: I hope you all liked chapter 4! In the next chapter you get to need two new characters and more fluff between Rin and Sesshomaru occurs. And what happens when Sesshomaru and Inuyasha are forced together for an afternoon? See in chapter 5!

I want to tell you that chapter 5 will be up soon, but I can't truthfully say that. I've gotten bad at updating quickly and I kinda got writers block, even though I already know what's going to happen in the next few chapters. I'm also working on finishing the next chapter of Decisions, Decisions and my first one shot (it's a fluffy Miroku/Sango one). So I will continue to work on An Unlikely Pair, but the next update might be a month or so. I'm so sorry, and please forgive me. But I hope you enjoy An Unlikely Pair and REMEMBER TO REVIEW!

Oh, Happy Birthday to WhiteRoseDancer who turned 14 on Thursday (Happy B-Day Katie!) You'll always be 1 day older than me!

And I turned 14 on Friday (December 16th) so Happy Birthday to me! -)


	5. Dinner With the Family

**Disclaimer: **Okies, you know the routine. I don't own Inuyasha. I never have and I never will. But thanks to my magnificent friends, I now own everyone's favorite lecher monk, Miroku, the abused Jaken, and the great Youkai lord of the Western lands, Fluffy, in plushie form! YAYS!

**OtakuGirlEmi:** Hello everyone! After a very long hiatus, An Unlikely Pair is finally back! Yay! And despite waht many of you probably thought, I am still alive and well and writing fanfiction. (to some extent) Fic.s just kinda got lost in the shuffle of my life for the past year and I wasn't inspired and I didn't have the time to write. Now, I still don't have a ton of time, but things are more peaceful and I've been feeling a lot more inspired to write. Once again, I apologize profusly about the extremely long wait and I give all my thanks to those of you who have stayed with me, despite all of this. Thanks so much! Anyhoo, regarding this chapter...I really like this chapter, probably because it's different than the previous chapters in the story. Rather than focusing solely on Rin and Sesshomaru, it involves the theme of family and how Sesshomaru reacts to it. Also, it was fun to be able to include characters like Shippo, Kagome, Inuyasha, Miroku, Sango, and 2 new characters in this chapter. So I hope no one is too disappointed with it. I did throw in some fluff in the end though! Now, onto chapter 5! (finally)

**Chapter 5: Dinner with the Family**

The rest of the afternoon in Kagome and Inuyasha's hut progressed quietly enough for the two guests. After his angry exclamation, Inuyasha had left the house to go off and sulk somewhere, Miroku and Sango had remained at Kagome's, while Kagome herself continued to pop in and out of Rin's room to check on her. The young girl had been steadily getting worse as the day wore on; her cough becoming constant and harsher, along with a higher fever. Sesshomaru never left her side, though whenever Kagome entered the room he was as far away from Rin as possible. (Usually a faint blush on his face) But the miko was positive that he was always asking how Rin felt and soothing her. He really has changed a lot, she thought to herself as she carried a small tray of food down the hallway. And for the better.

As Kagome entered the room, Sesshomaru surprised her as he remained sitting next to the teenager. His golden eyes locked with hers as he softly, but firmly, commanded, "Be silent, she fell asleep and I do not wish to wake her."

After the Miko had set the tray down next to the snoozing girl, she gestured for the Inu Youkai to follow her into the hall. Sesshomaru silently refused, sitting resolutely at Rin's side, watching her sleep. He reminds me of a loyal dog, the miko thought, a smile playing at her lips. "Please?" Kagome whispered. "I'm sure that she'll be fine without your guarding presence for a few minutes." Sesshomaru's eyes narrowed dangerously at the sarcasm-implied comment, glaring at her stubbornly for several seconds, until- with inhuman speed and grace- he silently stood and walked out of the room.

Kagome let a small sigh escape her lips as she surveyed the room and sleeping girl. It seemed that the only trait that the two brothers shared- hard-headed stubbornness- was still as strong as ever in Sesshomaru. I don't know how you put up with him, Kagome thought as she watched Rin. Almost as if she had heard the miko's thoughts, the girl grinned in her slumber like she was trying to say 'Even I sometimes wonder how I do it'. Satisfied, and knowing that Sesshomaru would only wait a few more seconds, Kagome turned and walked out of the room.

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"So, what do you wish to discuss? I have little time for chit-chat." demanded the white-haired Taiyoukai as he stared coolly at the nigen woman.

Kagome smiled as sweetly at the demon as she swung around from closing the hanging door to the other room. "I want you to take a break and relax."

Sesshomaru cut in, protesting, "No. I need to watch over-"

"Rin, I know." Finished Kagome, smirking as the youkai seemed taken aback by her impertinence. She crossed her arms over he chest, adopting a patient tone as if she was speaking with an insistent child and not the Lord of the Western Lands. "Listen Sesshomaru. I know that you're worried about her and would like nothing more than to stay by her side and protect her from the world-"

"I believe I said no such thing about _tha_t…"

"_But_," Kagome continued as if she had never been interrupted. "She's finally sleeping, so why don't you give her a little peace? I'm sure she can survive without her loyal protector for little while." The miko raised her eyebrows, waiting for a reply.

The inuyoukai narrowed his golden eyes at the raven-haired woman-- an action that would have terrified any normal person, but only made Kagome glared back resiliently. (Demon glares didn't bug her since she'd been dealing with Inuyasha's temper for years) The two stayed like that for several seconds, the air seeming to crackle with clashing wills. Damn her persistence, Sesshomaru thought. No one orders me, the Lord of the Western Lands, around like this! His stubbornness wavered for an instant… but it would be nice to eat and relax for a short time. And then I can go back to Rin.

He replied coolly, "Fine, I agree to your invitation." And abruptly turned around and swiftly walked down the hall, leaving a surprised miko in his tracks. Ok then, Kagome thought, grinning, as she followed him, I guess that's a yes.

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"I'm telling you, Miroku, you don't need kids! Don't have 'em. The little brats will drive you crazy." Inuyasha was forcefully insisting as Sesshomaru entered the dinning room. The monk sitting across from Sesshomaru's half-brother looked annoyed, but apparently the hanyou wasn't paying attention, as he continued to go on and on about the bad points of children.

"...and they always make noise and never shut up, they smell, constantly make messes…" the hanyou went on and on as Sesshomaru sat down at the table gracefully. Inuyasha was so absorbed in his own whining that he hadn't noticed the demon lord, who was listening intently to the one-sided conversation while maintaining a calm-if not slightly annoyed- silence.

When Inuyasha finally stopped lecturing to take a breath, Miroku cut in, "It's a little late to change our mind now, Inuyasha. May I remind you that Sango is due in a matter of months?"

"Besides Inuyasha," interjected Kagome as she set several plates and bowels on the table, "How can you talk like that? You know that children are wonderful." She seated herself at the table and smiled at Sango.

Inuyasha, slightly sedated by Kagome's words perked up when he discovered the food on the table in front of him. His mouth widened into a grin that showed off his canine-like fangs, and he eagerly picked up his silverware. But the hanyou suddenly turned as stiff as a statue when he finally noticed who had joined the table.

Sesshomaru tried to keep himself from smirking. Trust the baka hanyou not to notice me until now. He's more dense than lead, thought the taiyoukai. A split second later, Inuyasha jumped to his feet with inhuman speed, his hands curled into fists. "WHAT THE HELL IS _HE_ DOING HERE?!" he demanded, making Miroku flinch slightly.

"Since your pathetically tiny brain cannot seem to remember, I shall remind you," Sneered Sesshomaru, brushing a stray hair behind his pointed ear. "I am a guest at your house for the next 2 days. And your mate generously offered me a seat at her table. So I suggest that you close your gaping mouth, half-wit, and eat."

Sesshomaru could see the vein in Inuyasha's neck pulsing in anger as he clamped his mouth shut and slowly sat down. But his golden eyes remained locked with Sesshomaru's in a stare down.

Dinner passed in relative peace. The conversation, supplied between Kagome, Sango, and Miroku, was punctured only by Inuyasha's grumbling comments. Sesshomaru remained silent during the whole meal; he tried to eat as quickly as possible so he could get back to Rin. My Rin, he unintentionally thought once.

A loud knock from the front door got everyone's attention as Miroku broke off in mid-sentence and Kagone stood up. She disappeared from the room and the sound of a door opening was accompanied by her voice "Oh, hi! Come in. We're just finishing dinner." She returned to the room followed by 3 people that Sesshomaru didn't know; Two were children and the third was a teenager that looked oddly familiar, but Sesshomaru couldn't place.

The older child (who looked to be about 6) was a boy who had short silver hair and two small dog ears perched on his head. He wore a loose blue haori and hakama and he was smiling very brightly, much like the miko guiding him. The younger girl possessed long locks of raven hair and wore a small pink yukata with a yellow ribbon tired around her waist; She, too, had tiny dog ears sitting on her head.

Suddenly an image flashed in Sesshomaru's mind. These were the two humans playing on a blanket in the picture in the hallway, he thought. He couldn't help but wonder who the tykes were. As the children entered the room, they spied Inuyasha and their faces lit up. The silver-haired boy ran toward the hanyou and tackled him in a hug. This furthered puzzled Sesshomaru. Why is that human pup hugging my oaf of a brother like that? A nagging thought occurred to the Youkai, but he didn't bother to even consider it. They _couldn't_ be, he thought, surely not.

The little boy let go of Inuyasha, who then, blushing slightly, ruffled the boy's hair affectionately. "You promised when I got home we could spar!" the boy demanded, smiling. "Can we please? You promised Daddy!"

DADDY?! Sesshomaru couldn't stop his mouth from dropping open. THESE ARE THE IDIOT HANYOU'S PUPS?! His thought had been correct after all. The demon slayer next to him giggled at his expression and Sesshomaru closed his mouth quickly, embarrassed at his show of emotion. "…We'll see, Ryo; Maybe after dinner. But first, you and Tori need to meet our guest." Inuyasha replied.

Ryo looked at his father quizzically. "Guest? We have a guest?" Inuyasha nodded.

"Daddy, Daddy, who is it? I wanna meet our guest!" The girl, Tori, piped in excitedly. She unattached herself from Kagome and looked around the room. She spotted Sesshomaru and asked "Is it him? I've never seen him before!"

Kagome and Inuyasha both nodded. "Meet your _Uncle_ Sesshomaru, Youkai Lord of the Western Lands," Announced Inuyasha, an evil smirk playing on his lips. Sesshomaru felt like killing the hanyou on the spot: He was most certainly not these brats's uncle! He would have nothing to do with mongrel hanyou pups!

He opened his mouth to correct his clearly insane brother, but was stopped as Ryo and Tori threw themselves at him. Tori fearlessly hugged Sesshomaru with her little arms while saying, "Hello Uncle Sesshomaru! I'm Tori. Do you want to be friends?!" Ryo jumped into the fray, tackling Sesshomaru like his sister. "Hey Uncle Sesshomaru, I'm Ryo!" Sesshomaru's golden eyes widened, shocked by the children's pure happiness. Their cheerful and innocent words reminded him vividly of Rin, and he found himself incapable of speech.

"Hey, hey!" Tori got the attention of the stunned Sesshomaru by tugging on his long, white fur.

"Uh...Yes?" replied Sesshomaru, unsure of how to talk to a child.

Tori lifted up the fur, as if to show it to Sesshomaru. "What is this thing? It's really fluffy and warm!" She cradled the fur in her arms, and then hugged it, causing Sesshomaru to turn a bright shade of red and incapable of speech yet again.

The little girl turned to her brother, as if a sudden realization had dawned on her. "Hey…Uncle Sesshomaru is a really long name, right?" Ryo nodded. "Well, since he has this fluffy thing, let's just call him Uncle Fluffy!" she proclaimed, giggling at her genius.

"Yeah!" cried Ryo simply delighted. He pointed a clawed hand a Sesshomaru and declared "You are now Uncle Fluffy!" As Sesshomaru sat there, trying to process what had just taken place the slightly calmer children got off him and returned to their mother.

Kagome escorted the 2 children to seats at the table as she listened to them chatter about their day. Tori had a voice as clear and sweet as a bell. "…And then we went to the creek to play. It was lots of fun!" she was telling the miko.

"Umm…Kagome?" the familiar-yet-implacable teenager who had faded into the background interrupted Tori's rambling, his voice quiet.

Kagome turned to him, her eyes brightening. "Yeah Shippo?"

Sesshomaru felt his mouth involuntarily drop open again. So the reason the teenager had looked so familiar was because Sesshomaru had seem him countless times before. Is that really the scrawny fox brat? He thought, slightly awed. And he had good reason to be. Shippo, who nearly a decade ago had been an annoying child not even as high as Sesshomaru's knee had changed a lot. He now stood slightly taller than Kagome, and wore deep emerald pants with a fur tied around his waist and a matching emerald vest covered his chest. Though his hair had grown into long light brown locks, it remained bound in a ponytail with a green bow.

The fox-demon's face flushed in embarrassment. "Kagome, I can't stay for dinner like I always do because I…have to meet someone in the village." He fidgeted with his ponytail, clearly uncomfortable about something.

Before Kagome could reply, Inuyasha's brash voice rang out. "Ha! You finally got yourself a _girlfriend_, Shippo?!" the teen's head sank down and a bright red blush crept across his face. Inuyasha cackled in delight. "I knew it! The little brat's finally growing up!"

Kagome glared at her husband. "Inuyasha, shut up! You need to learn how to shut you big mouth! We should be happy for Shippo."

"Yeah, yeah. I _am_ happy for the runt…" protested Inuyasha while Shippo glared at him.

"Shippo isn't a runt! Now SIT!" yelled Kagome. The Hanyou crashed into the floor and remained there. Tori and Ryo rushed over and held hands as they happily jumped on him singing "Daddy got 'sat'! Daddy got 'sat'!"

Kagome turned her attention to the fox demon. "Go ahead Shippo, have fun! Oh, and don't pay him" she pointed at the smashed hanyou "any mind. He's happy for you…in his _own_ way." Shippo rolled his eyes at this, but grinned as he walked out the door.

Sango and Miroku both let out a sighs of exhaustion as Shippo left, the kids retuned to the table, and Kagome walked over to Inuyasha to talk to him.

"Is... it always like this around here?" Sesshomaru's cool voice made them both jump. The demon lord hadn't spoken to either of them all dinner long.

"More or less." Replied Miroku, shrugging. "But, you get used to it."

Sango let out a laugh. "Ha! Yeah…that's dinner with the family for you!"

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Rin stirred as the door to her room was lifted, and then closed. "Uhhh…" she moaned as she rolled over and opened her eyes. She had had a nice nap, but was glad to be awake. She searched to find who had opened the door, and found him next to her. Rin peered up into the face of her loyal protector, Sesshomaru and smiled.

"Hello master." She said, her voice creaking with sleep.

The demon seemed embarrassed. "I'm sorry, Rin. I had no intention of waking you. I was merely returning from dinner." He explained as he took a seat on one of the cushion by her bed.

Rin moved her eyes from him to peer at the small window in her room. When she had fallen asleep, there had been sunlight coming through it, but now soft moonlight filled the opening. Its graceful beams fell directly on the demon lord across from her. It took his already beautiful form and made it look even more inhuman. His silver hair seemed to glow with its own light, while the deep violet moon on his forehead contrasted completely with his unearthly pale pallor. His body was so perfect and graceful that it would have made even the world's greatest ballerina look like a clumsy cow. At that moment, Rin wanted nothing in the world more than to be held by him as he whispered things into her ear with his velvet voice.

Rin felt the sting of tears as her eyes brimmed with them. He looks so _perfect_ and it breaks my heart, she thought, despair echoing in her mind. How could he ever love _me_?

Sesshomaru was by Rin's side in an instant as the tears freed themselves from her chocolate eyes and rolled down her cheeks. Without thinking, he immediately scooped up the crying teenager and retreated back to his cushion in the moonlight.

"I-I'm so sorry." Rin whispered, hiccupping as she attempted to choke back sobs and clutched his white kimono.

Sesshomaru silenced her apology quickly. "Nonsense, Rin. There is nothing to be sorry for." Though she didn't agree, Rin felt herself nod as she gazed into his eyes. "…But" Sesshomaru spoke again, keeping his tone light to hide his concern, "It would not be unwelcome to know what made you so upset."

Rin smiled and assured him, "It's nothing...really."

When the tears stopped pouring out of her eyes, she involuntarily let her head sink back into his warm chest, her face slightly warm. Sesshomaru glanced down as he felt the weight against his chest, his eyebrows silently raised, and his face red.

"So…" Rin's soft voice broke the silence. "How was dinner?"

Sesshomaru allowed himself a sign before answering. "It was…an experience that I would not be inclined to repeat often." He struggled to phrase his answer, reflecting on the loud and dysfunctional event.

The girl sitting in his lap giggled. "An experience, huh?"

"Yes."

"But," she said. "It was kinda fun, wasn't it?"

Sesshomaru sat up and peered down at the girl, wondering where she had come up with such an absurd conclusion. The young woman laughed at his reaction. "Master," she explained, "You never said you didn't _like_ it. You just said you couldn't do it _every night_. For you, that's about as close to saying you like it."

Except for a small smile that played at his perfect lips, the demon lord didn't respond, but Rin knew she had hit the nail on the head. She smiled contently as she resumed lying on her protector's chest and let her eyes drift shut. Her breathing became quiet and even and her lean body relaxed completely.

"…Lord Sesshomaru?" the demon was surprised at her whisper, he had assumed she was asleep.

"Yes Rin?"

The girl answered, but it was muffled and unclear. He bent his head closer to her full lips to hear. "Is it okay if I sleep like this tonight? You're so warm, and," she paused and bit her lip, hesitant to finish her thought.

"And…I feel safer when I'm with you."

Sesshomaru felt his face flush in happiness, but did nothing to betray his calm demeanor. "Yes Rin, if that is what you wish, you can sleep like this."

Rin smiled and closed her eyes again. "Thank you…"she mumbled before drifting off to sleep.

Sesshomaru freely studied her beautiful face before he, too, closed his golden eyes and let sleep take him, cradling the girl he loved in his arms.

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**OtakuGirlEmi:** Well, how was it? ( I wonder if my skills have worsened since it's been so long) Personally, I'm really glad I added the last part to the chapter. It wasn't originally planned ot be, but it just popped into my head while I was tping and I put it in. It was just a sweet scene, and we get to see some of Rin's thoughts about Fluffy. I have to say though, props to my friend DarkMoonFang for suggesting the idea of 'Uncle Fluffy'. It just came up in conversation we were having about Sesshomaru spending time with 'the family' and what if Kagome and Inuyahsa had kids. Any critiques are accepted, and reviews and comments are loved very much! Until next time!-Emi


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